Fantasy Zone II

Similar to Defender , the player occupies a side-scrolling level that repeats indefinitely, and in which the player can freely travel left or right. Each zone contains several "bases" that serve as primary targets. New to the sequel are "warps" hidden behind certain bases that allow the player to travel between different zones. Each level has at least three zones, and when all of the bases have been cleared in all of the zones of a level, the player can travel through the warp to the boss .

Boss fights do not allow for free travel as the main stages do, and force the player to face the boss or face a particular direction. Bosses are generally very large and change color to reflect damage taken. The final stage is a "boss rush" in which the player must fight a succession of previous bosses before fighting the final boss. There are two action buttons that correspond to two types of attacks, "fire" and "bomb".

The fire attacks shoot horizontally, as in a typical shooter, and different variants can be purchased at shops. The bomb attacks are more powerful, and the basic bomb drops downward. Other variants have other behaviors and are limited in quantity. Shops, uncovered at key points, allow the player to purchase upgraded weapons, bombs, and speed, as well as extra lives.

Upgrades to Opa-Opa's speed (such as larger wings, or jet engines) are permanent as long as the player does not lose a life, but weapon upgrades are time-limited, and bombs limited in quantity. Items become increasingly expensive with subsequent purchases, encouraging the player to vary their purchases.